|
| |
| Rank/Branch |
Spc/Army |
| Unit |
507th Maitenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas |
| Personal Information |
| Date of Birth |
|
| Residency |
Medina, Texas |
| POW Information |
| Date of Loss |
March 23, 2003 |
| Place of Loss |
Nasiriyah, Iraq |
| Category of Means of Loss: |
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Convoy |
(born in
1971 ) was the first
Black female
Prisoner Of War in the
Military History Of The United States . She was held hostage in
Iraq for 22 days after being captured with four other members of the
U.S. Army 507th Maintenance Company ,
5/52 ADA BN , 11th ADA Brigade. Johnson was a
Specialist at the time and suffered bullet wounds to both of her ankles. She survived the ordeal as a result of a successful rescue mission conducted by
U.S. Marines on
April 13 ,
2003 .
.]]
Johnson, a second-generation U.S. Army Veteran, is a native of
Panama , and moved to the
United States with her family when she was a child. The eldest child of retired Army
Sergeant First Class Claude Johnson and wife Eunice, Soshana Johnson was in the ROTC at Andress High School, although she did not plan a career in the military. She was a
JROTC cadet in
1991 and joined the U.S. Army in
September 1998 while attending classes at the
University Of Texas At El Paso (UTEP). She has a sister, Nikki Johnson.
In
February 2003 , while serving her second military assignment at
Fort Bliss ,
Texas , Johnson received orders to deploy to Iraq and carry through her duties as a
Quartermaster Corps Food Service Specialist (
MOS 92G ) with the 507th Maintenance Company, 5/52 ADA BN, 11th ADA Brigade. Shoshana enlisted with the duty of preparing meals. She says that she had no intention of going into combat. Her company's duty was to supply mechanics to repair the Patriot missile trucks housed at the post.
On
March 23 , 2003 one month after her arrival to serve as part of
Operation Iraqi Freedom , Johnson was in a convoy that was ambushed and taken captive in the city of
Nasiriyah . Iraqi troops ambushed her supply convoy when it took a wrong turn. There had been bitter fighting around Nasiriyah, a vital crossing point of the
River Euphrates . Johnson was among a dozen soldiers in the convoy who was captured. She received a bullet wound to her ankle, causing injuries to both legs.
Janelle, Shoshana's two-year old daughter, was taken care of by her grandparents, while Shoshana was on duty in Iraq. Claude learned of his daughter's fate while flipping through the channels, to find a cartoon for his grand-daughter.
Telemundo was broadcasting
Al Jazeera footage of the POWs being interviewed by an off camera reporter for the Middle Eastern network. This capture was later confirmed, when the couple was summoned to
Fort Bliss .
In
April 13 , 2003 after subsequent house raids conducted by
U.S. Marines of the
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion ,
1st Marine Division in the city of
Samarra , Johnson was rescued along with six other prisoners of war. They were welcomed as heroes in the United States on
April 16 with a cheering crowd of over 3,000 people. The U.S. Army recognized them for courage, valor, and service with several awards.
In
December 12 , 2003 Johnson retired from the U.S. Army on a
Temporary Disability Honorable Discharge . Johnson has received numerous awards and recognition for her courage, valor, and service to the United States. She has presented talks throughout the nation about her experience as a prisoner of war, and has been recognized with standing ovations from small groups to over 65,000 people at select events hosted by public and private organizations. Critics have accused the military and media of
Racism in that they focused attention on
Jessica Lynch , a
Caucasian Blonde , rather than Johnson, a Black woman.
Johnson currently resides in
El Paso ,
Texas with her daughter Janelle.
- "Just stay strong. Keep your dignity. Try not to let them break you." - Advice to then-POW Shoshana Johnson from her sister Nikki
- "She always had an angel following her around. She always manages to get out of stuff. Hopefully her angel is still with her." - Nikki Johnson on her then-POW sister, Shoshana's good luck.
